Here’s what lawmakers mean when they say…
A dinner, a lunch: Means a meal sponsored by lobbyists. Can be one legislator with one lobbyist, or an entire committee, referred to as a "committee dinner," sponsored by several lobbyists whose clients want to pass or stall legislation that is before the committee.
A li'l hep: Usually when a legislator asks for more money for a local program or constituent. Sometimes also used to help an industry or group pay fewer taxes. As in, "Delta's havin' a rough time with these high fuel prices, we need to give 'em a li'l hep on their taxes."
Administration bill: A bill the governor is pushing and wants passed.
Agency bill: A bill requested by one of the state agencies.
Amendment: A change made to a bill.
Author: The author can be a legislator, legislative counsel, a lobbyist or special interest association. See: Sponsor.
Big budget: The budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
Called home: When a legislator "gets retired" on the "advice" of his family for having a little too much fun in Atlanta.
Catfish: Old-school term for a bill that gets gutted of any substance. Used to be known as being Grooverized, in honor of the late Rep. Denmark Groover, a Macon attorney who excelled at filleting bills.
Cease all audible conversation: Means, "shut up!" What the House or Senate presiding officer says when he wants quiet. Generally preceded or followed by a violent slamming of the gavel.
Conference committee: A six-member committee of three House members and three senators, appointed by the House speaker and the lieutenant governor, to reconcile versions of a bill passed by both chambers.
Constitutional amendment: A proposal to change the state Constitution. Votes ultimately must approve an amendment, but first the measure must pass both chambers with a two-thirds majority.
Christmas tree: A bill that gets lots of other bills amended to it, generally at the end of the session. Common with tax-break legislation. See: Vehicle.
Dead: Describes a bill that is no longer viable, at least for the moment. Such legislation can be resuscitated, often by being tied to a Christmas tree.
Devotional: The sermon lawmakers get before they start business each day, usually from a Protestant preacher with a lot to say.
Doctor of the day: Local doctors who volunteer to work a day at the Statehouse medical station and are introduced to legislators each day. They offer free care to legislators and others at the Capitol.
Fiscal note: Estimate of a bill's costs. Legislators are supposed to get to see fiscal notes before they vote on bills, but often don't.
Fiscal year: The year covered by the state's budget, July 1 to June 30.
Gentleman from, lady from: How lawmakers refer to one another in debates.
Hand vote: Allows lawmakers to vote on bills without a record of how they voted (the number of hands are counted, not whose hand is raised). Often used right after lunch, when many members are slow returning to the chamber.
Housekeeping bill: A bill that fixes small or technical problems in law. Occasionally bigger changes are slipped in late in the session when nobody is looking.
Industry bill: A bill brought by lawmakers on behalf of a particular industry, often written by lobbyists for that industry. See: Special-interest legislation.
Leadership: Just what it sounds like: the House Speaker, Senate President, and the leadership team of the majority party.
Little budget: The mid-year spending plan, which helps fund the final few months of the current fiscal year.
New information: Used to be known as "later data." In budget speak, it means "new information" on a particular agency's needs has been given to leaders that persuades them to cut or add money to a program. "New information" can simply be used by lawmakers as an excuse to shift money from one priority to another, regardless of the "data" or "information."
Not ready: As in, "That bill is not quite ready." Usually means the bill is being held up, often as a hostage to be used in a later trade for passage of other legislation.
Friends in the hall: Also known as "people in the hall." Lobbyists — as in, "Our friends in the hall support this bill."
Point of personal privilege: When lawmakers get a chance to get up and talk about anything and everything, from war to the history of bond ratings in Georgia.
PORK: Or Project of Regional Concern (PORC). Project slipped into the budget to help one area or legislator.
Reconsideration: When a bill or amendment is brought up for another vote.
Recommit: To send a bill back to a committee.
Regents row: Where the state's university lobbyists sit during budget negotiations, usually reserved hours before the meetings begin. More recently, it also includes the area on the 3rd floor of the statehouse just outside of Room 341, the appropriations hearing room.
Rules: The committee that decides whether a bill will be debated by the full chamber. Later in the session, it sets the daily calendar.
Sine die: Latin for adjournment without recall. On the last day of the session, the House Speaker and lieutenant governor adjourn "sine die" and slam down their gavels.
Special-interest legislation: Legislation passed for an industry, usually written at least partly by that industry.
Sponsor: Legislator who files a bill and generally promotes it through the legislative process.
Study committee: Where bills often go when lawmakers aren't ready to act on them. Sometimes the bills are refined by the study committee and will come up the next year. Sometimes they are never seen again.
Sunset: When a law or agency expires. Usually legislation or an agency about to sunset gets renewed before it ever dies.
Supplemental budget: See: little budget.
Unlock the machines: What the chamber leader says before members vote on a bill. The "unlocking" allows members to have their vote registered.
Unregistered lobbyist: People who lobby for passage of legislation to help themselves or a client without officially registering as lobbyists. Despite registration laws, unregistered lobbyists seldom face punishment.
Vehicle: A piece of harmless legislation used by lawmakers to carry another measure they really want to pass. The bill they want to pass gets amended onto the vehicle. See: Christmas tree.
Well: The front of House and Senate chambers where lawmakers speak on bills or amendments.
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